To think something crawled up and died in my washing machine?!

[WhatsTheT]

My Machine is about 4 years old, so not exactly ancient, but it smells like death!

I've used all the different washing machine cleaners and freshners you can think of on all sorts of price scales.

Cleaned it myself, put all sorts of smelly things in, but nope.... it's making the whole kitchen smell like rotten veg!!

My clothes smell fine but it's still a nightmare.

Anyone got any smashing home remedies they can give me?!

[ShatnersBassoon]

Have you tried vinegar and soda crystals?

[namechangefortoday543]

I put some bicarb of soda in and run at 90 once a month.
Leave door slightly open when not in use.

[Momzilla82]

Have you emptied the filter at the bottom left (it's a little door that opens and you can lift our the filter on mine) and YY to keeping door open to avoid the musty mould

[WhatsTheT]

I've tried vinegar, not tried bicarb! How much do you use?

I leave the door open all the time but the kitchen Is at such an angle that it closes on it's own (just doesn't click shut)

Doesn't help that this house only has the hot tap connected to it, there's no cold supply and its a self heating washer so I don't think the steaming hot water is helping!

[19lottie82]

open the cap at the front, which you use to clear blockages and and check there is nothing nasty lurking in there?

[WhatsTheT]

done the cap lottie, was a 1p and a 5p and no gunk, but that stunk even more! lol

[haveabreakhaveakitkat]

You could try running a 90 degree wash, if you have one

[namechangefortoday543]

I just put a couple of tablespoons in- I think the 90 degree wash cleans the pipes and kills bacteria.
Do you put powder/liquid in the drawer thing?
It can go slimey if you do that.
I use capsules and put them straight in the drum

[Oldraver]

How the heck is there only hot fill ?

I would try soda crystals at 90 degrees

[WhatsTheT]

I use the caps straight in the drum (persil small and mighty) It's on a 90 degree wash everytime I buy different cleaners for the machine.

How the heck is there only hot fill Don't know. There's just one connection to the machine, and it only has hot water going through it :/

Must be buggered :(

[haveabreakhaveakitkat]

So your washing gets rinsed in hot water? it must be costing you a fortune and probably not helping with the smell. Most machines are cold feed only or hot and cold I think. I've never heard of hot feed only.

[WhatsTheT]

OK I'll explain the hot water thing because people seem to be focussing on it despite the fact that It doesn't seem to be affecting the smell.

Machine is cold feed and self heats the water

Water in the new house is heated by a back boiler, water heats up, stays hot all day.

The pipe that is feeding into the washing machine only feeds hot water (must be connected like a hot tap! I don't know!)

Doesn't cost me anything extra except for it using some of my already heated water, the boiler doesn't come on just to use hot water.

I don't want to talk about the hot water. Just my stinky machine.

[DonkeyOaty]

Okay

First of all - if use liquid detergent, go back to powder. If you use fabric conditioner, stop. These can clag up summat chronic.

Next - run a 90degree wash with just a dishwasher tablet in the drum. Beg one from a mate if you don't have a dw.

Also - take out the drawer and clean inside as well as the drawer. You will omg at the leavings inside. Old rough towel - go round and round the door seal.

Then report back.

[haveabreakhaveakitkat]

I've never had a stinky machine and also never had a hot fill only machine so was only putting two and two together

[DonkeyOaty]

Erm how tricky would it be to wrestle orf the Out pipe and have a peer down it and swish it clean? I couldn't do that (feeble hands) but is there someone handy who could do that with yours?

[bwow]

Could the rubber/plasticky stuff have perished a bit? I think that gives off a bad smell. I always find white vinegar and bicarb the best together.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Use half a bag of soda crystals in the drum and a boiling wash. Switch to powder if you are using liquid. Make sure your hoses are high enough that water doesn't run back into the bottom of the machine at the end of the cycle.

[WhatsTheT]

Thanks ladies! The only thing I haven't tried is the dishwasher tablet, I'll see if I can find one of someone.

I never use softrinse, never seems to make a difference!

[Battleshiphips]

Do you use liquid or powder. My repair man told me to only use powder as liquids slimes up the internal workings such as pipes etc. and that causes the smell.

[springsprang]

Take the filter off again and have a poke around in the pipes to it - I got loads of stinky gunk out of mine with a bent metal skewer - be careful though. Have you completely drained the machine? There's usually an additional little pipe hidden somewhere which has standing water in and needs flushing through occasionally.

[feelingstuck78]

I had this- defo change to powder or powder tablet. No more smell!!

[Ataraxy]

As your clothes smell fine it sounds to me like there's a small dead animal somewhere in your kitchen. Perhaps behind the washer? Maybe worth pulling it out and having a look.

[MissPenelopeLumawoo2]

My repair man told me to only use powder as liquids slimes up the internal workings such as pipes etc. and that causes the smell.

I used to work for a sewage company and they advised not to use powder, it silts up in your pipes and causes blockages. They had a whole load of weird & wonderful powder 'sculptures' that they had removed from pipes on display in their offices.

Could it be a plumbing issue OP? If it is not plumbed in correctly the smell could be coming in straight from your drains. I would get a plumber to check if I were you.

[Magicalmrmistofeles]

Dive switched back to powder too - problem solved. Also run an empty wash at 90 every once in a while, usually only wash t 30